Construction for connecting and aligning sections of a guide-roll rack

ABSTRACT

A construction for connecting and aligning the guide-roll rack sections of a continuous-casting apparatus. The guide rolls are located immediately beneath the mold, and confine the partially solidified casting as it emerges from the mold. The rolls are journaled in racks which are formed in individually removable sections. Invention is a plurality of downwardly directed brackets fixed to the bottom of the section above, and having sockets receiving protruding portions of the uppermost roll shaft of the section beneath.

United States Patent Gottfried l-lofmann Brentwood Borough, Allegheny County, Pa. 74,807

Sept. 23, 1970 Jan. 11, 1972 United States Steel Corporation [72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45 Patented [73] Assignee [54] CONSTRUCTION FOR CONNECTING AND ALIGNING SECTIONS OF A GUIDE-ROLL RACK 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 164/282, 193/35 .1 [51] lnt.Cl ..B6Sg 13/11, B22d 1 1/12 [50] Field of Search 164/82,

282, 283; 193/2 A, 2 D, 14, I5, 25, 35, 37

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,100 12/1941 Zunckel 164/283 X 2,470,275 5/1949 Warshaw 193/35 3,236,550 2/1966 Falkler 193/35 3,538,980 11/1970 Gallucci 164/282 3,167,829 2/1965 Hess et al 164/282 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,783 1/1967 Austria 164/282 80,375 1/1956 Denmark. 193/35 1,499,824 9/1967 France 164/282 Primary Examiner- Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson Att0rneyWalter P. Wood ABSTRACT: A construction for connecting and aligning the guide-roll rack sections of a continuous-casting apparatus. The guide rolls are located immediately beneath the mold, and confine the partially solidified casting as it emerges from the mold. The rolls are journaled in racks which are formed in individually removable sections. Invention is a plurality of downwardly directed brackets fixed to the bottom of the section above, and having sockets receiving protruding portions of the uppermost roll shaft of the section beneath.

CONSTRUCTION F OR CONNECTING AND ALIGNING SECTIONS OF A GUIDE-ROLL RACK This invention relates to an improved construction for connecting and aligning sections of a guide-roll rack used in continuous-casting of metals.

In a conventional continuous-casting operation, liquid metal is poured through an open-ended, water-cooled, vertically oscillating mold. A casting, which at this stage has only a relatively thin solidified skin and a liquid core, emerges continuously from the lower end of the mold. Immediately beneath the mold the casting travels through a series of guide rolls where water is sprayed on its surface to effect further solidification. The guide rolls define a pass which must be accurately aligned throughout its height and accurately aligned with the mold to confine the casting. Any misalignment of the guide rolls can rupture the skin of the casting and cause a break-out" of liquid metal. It is known to mount the guide rolls in a rack, which may be made up of a number of separately removable sections. This arrangement facilitates installing the rolls and removing them for maintenance. Guide rolls are subject to severe operating conditions and must be replaced frequently.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved construction for connecting and aligning sections of a guide-roll rack, which construction is simple mechanically yet enables the sections to drop accurately into alignment.

A more specific object is to provide a construction which affords the foregoing advantages and comprises downwardly directed brackets on one roll-rack section and shafts protruding from the section beneath received in sockets in said brackets to prevent relative sideways movement of the sections.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of portions of two roll-rack sections connected and aligned in accordance with my invennon;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on line Il-ll of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section on line lII-Ill of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows the lower portion of a guide-roll rack section and the upper portion of an other such section 12 supported with section 10 above section 12 and aligned therewith. The supporting means can be of any conventional construction (not shown). Section 10 includes a rigid cage which is rectangular in plan and is formed of four corner posts 13 and horizontal connectors 14 welded to the posts. Section 12 includes a cage similarly formed of corner posts 15 and connectors 16. Sections 10 and 12 include a plurality of sets of vertically spaced idler rolls 17 and 18 respectively, which together define a pass of rectangular cross section for confining a casting as it descends from the mold above (not shown). Rolls 17 are journaled on stationary shafts 19 which are removably inserted in openings 20 in posts 13 and span the space between two posts. The inner end of each shaft abuts the side face of another shaft. The outer end of each shaft protrudes a short distance from a post and has a notch 21 in its side face. Keepers 22 are bolted to the posts and are received in notches 21 to hold the shafts in place. Rolls 18 are similarly journaled on shafts 23 arranged in like fashion in section 12 beneath. Preferably I insert plugs 24 in the blind ends of the openings through the posts 13 and 15.

In accordance with my invention, I weld downwardly facing brackets 26 of inverted L-shape to the bottoms of the corner posts 13 of the rack section 10. I show four such brackets, each welded to a different comer post and protruding outwardly of its post in a different direction. However, I can include as many as eight such brackets or as few as three. If I include more than four, one or more of the posts may carry two brackets. If I include only three, one post lacks a bracket. The brackets have downwardly directed legs, in the lower edges of which there are sockets 27 having flared entrance portions 28. The uppermost shafts 23a of the rack section 12 protrude somewhat farther from the corner posts 15 than the other shafts 23. Sockets 27 receive the protruding portions of shafts 23a to hold the two sections in alignment. The protruding portions have additional notches 29 in their side faces to be engaged by a tool for pulling shafts 23a from the cage.

In operation, I can lower the upper roll-rack section 10 onto section 12. The flared entrance portions 28 in brackets 26 receive the protruding portions of shafts 23a and guide section 10 to a position in which the shafts seat in sockets 27. This engagement of the shafts in the sockets automatically aligns the two sections and prevents relative sideways movement in any direction.

I claim:

1. The combination, with two guide-roll sections supported one above the other, each of said sections including a respective cage, a plurality of rolls journaled in said cage, and shafts supporting said rolls, said rolls defining a pass for confining a casting, of an improved construction connecting and aligning said sections, said construction comprising at least three brackets fixed to the section above and having downwardly directed legs protruding from the bottom thereof, and protruding end portions on at least three shafts of the section beneath, said legs having sockets in their lower edges receiving said protruding end portions of said shafts and preventing relative sideways movement of said sections.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said shafts are stationary and are removably supported in said cages, said protruding end portions being on the uppermost shaft of the cage beneath.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which each cage includes four corner posts and horizontal connectors fixed to said posts, said brackets being fixed to the bottoms of said posts.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said sockets have flared entrance portions. 

1. The combination, with two guide-roll sections supported one above the other, each of said sections including a respective cage, a plurality of rolls journaled in said cage, and shafts supporting said rolls, said rolls defining a pass for confining a casting, of an improved construction connecting and aligning said sections, said construction comprising at least three brackets fixed to the section above and having downwardly directed legs protruding from the bottom thereof, and protruding end portions on at least three shafts of the section beneath, said legs having sockets in their lower edges receiving said protruding end portions of said shafts and preventing relative sideways movement of said sections.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said shafts are stationary and are removably supported in said cages, said protruding end portions being on the uppermost shaft of the cage beneath.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which each cage includes four corner posts and horizontal connectors fixed to said posts, said brackets being fixed to the bottoms of said posts.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said sockets have flared entrance portions. 